As Iowa’s 2018 legislative session came to a close in early May, there have been several issues discussed that positively impact agriculture.
Those positives include long-term funding for water quality efforts, additional funding for foreign animal disease response preparations, continued funding for the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program, as well as updates to the Iowa noxious weed law, according to WallacesFarmer.
“The state of Iowa is a nationally recognized leader in agriculture production, and the Iowa Legislature has reinforced its commitment to Iowa agriculture through the passage of landmark water quality and other ag-related legislation,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is quoted as saying by WallacesFarmer.
The legislature passed $282 million for water quality efforts in Iowa over the next 12 years. According to the legislation, there will be a growing source of funding, starting with $3.9 million next fiscal year which increases to over $28 million annually. The act, SF 512, also has lawmakers providing $10.2 million to support the Iowa Water Quality Initiative during the next fiscal year.
“Along with water quality issues that were tackled at the state legislature this year, the small business agriculture community will also benefit from pro-small business tax reform that passed both the House and Senate at the end of the 2018 session,” said NFIB Iowa State Director Matt Everson. “Both these issues will be a catalyst that should help ignite the economy in Iowa.”
In addition to the $100,000 appropriated for the current fiscal year, the legislature has set aside an additional $150,000 in preparation of a foreign animal disease outbreak. These funds will help increase capacity of the department’s animal industry bureau and provide resources to better equip and prepare for a future animal disease response.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture received $3 million again from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure program. The governor also signed into law an update to the Iowa noxious weed law that allows the Iowa secretary of agriculture to declare a plant species as a noxious weed by administrative rule, rather than it having to be in the Iowa Code.
The Iowa legislature’s recent passage of an income tax reform package also included several benefits to agriculture such as increased Section 179 expensing to $1 million.
